When I say Fishing Marco Island don’t think that’s a finite area. Fishing Marco Island means an area from Marco Island to 30 miles south in the Ten Thousand Islands. It’s a huge area but if you know how and why fish stage in certain areas and conditions you can create a game plan.
Starting with tide charts, the savvy anglers know tide movement is everything. If there’s no tide eat a sandwich and wait for the tide change or better yet leave the dock later. Fishing Marco Island and surrounding area it seems falling tide is best. There are factors that contribute to tide fall and influence the time you have. I’ll explain.

Wind is a huge factor affecting tides by as much as 12-18 inches and in the backwater that makes skinny into zero water at lower end of the falling tide. In the 10k islands East and Northeast will blow out the tide. It also will prolong the outflow and hold back the timing of the incoming tide. So if your chart says low tide is 1ft mean low you can bet it with be .1 ft or maybe less. And at moon tides, well the exaggeration is more enhanced. But don’t be concerned as it can be to advantage.

Fishing the falling tide you want to start in maybe the second bay in from the Gulf. You work out with the tide fishing the water movement that pushes the tasty little critters redfish and snook snack on out of the mangroves. Jigs tipped with shrimp, soft plastic like 3-4 in Zman jerk baits, live shrimp are really the wintertime fare for snook, reds and Seatrout. If you don’t get a bite in 10 minutes you move on to the next good flow around mangrove points, oyster bars and where shallow flats meet deeper water. These are all ambush and feeding areas where fish will stage for the conveyor belt of food.
I like using darker colors in stained or murky conditions for better profile presentation, lighter in clean water.

So make a plan and follow through. You will find a bite. Tight Lines

Capt. John Pfeiffer

Marco Island Fishing Guide

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